Why Freehand Drawing Still Matters in Architecture Schools? A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This paper presents a systematic literature review examining the role of freehand drawing in architectural design education. Three research questions were defined to assess how freehand drawing is currently used, why it continues to be employed, and how its application might be improved. The review was conducted using three interdisciplinary databases, focusing on peer-reviewed publications from the year 2000 onward. Various search strings were tested to identify the most suitable keywords, ensuring that the volume of results remained manageable for analysis. The findings are organized according to the methodologies employed, the topics addressed, and the ways in which the research questions are explored in the literature. The paper also details the review process to ensure transparency, reliability, and reproducibility, aligning with systematic and mixed-methods research standards. In doing so, it aims to contribute methodologically to the fields of architectural and design research and, more broadly, to the digital humanities.